


Of The Sea

by FoodsandDudes



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Friendship, Mermen, Merpeople, mermaid, much sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-12-24 12:03:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12012318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoodsandDudes/pseuds/FoodsandDudes
Summary: Link likes to dive deep, all the way to the bottom of the sea just to see whats there. Rhett will eat all the oysters he can until he's sick. There's nothing wrong with that, it's best to satiate the risky behavior while they're young and can still recover. Their world is changing and some things can't stay the same no mater how much you want them to.





	1. Chapter 1

Rhett's hands brushed along the soft sand near the cove, he swam on his back tail gliding him along the sands surface. The evening light made the grains glisten with a soft glow that reflected off his freckled skin. Once in a while the sand would caress his back as he looked up at the sky. He raised his arm and let his finger tips grace the waters skin above him making a wake form above him it distorted the image above and mixed the shades of blue and off purple.

He then felt a shift in the water by the mid section of his tail, but, before he could even look down a familiar shadow came over him. Link had a toothy grin as he looked down at Rhett, admiring the halo of light the reflected through Rhett's hair from the glistening sand.

"Whatcha doing?" Link asked. He spun to swim beside Rhett looking up at the sky.

"Nothin'." Rhett replied. "Just the sky. It's so pretty here."

"Yeah." Link said after a while still looking up. 

They stayed like that for a while until the sky went from the off purple blue to a fiery yellow then quickly to a red. Rhett rolled on his side to look at Link.

"Hmm" Link hummed in question.

Rhett's hands caught Link by his sides, he ran his finger up and down with a grabbing motion. Link coiled in defense squirming, a smile spreading across his face again. With a flick of his tail Link easily slipped out of Rhett's grip and into the deeper end of the cove. They made sharp turns and twists heading for the surface only to dive a little deeper. It was a fun game, sometimes Rhett would win sometimes Link, knowing each other so well made the game challenging trying to outsmart the other person throwing fake outs and sharp turns. 

Link was the first to stop.

The abrupt ending of their game left Rhett perplexed but he quickly slowed down and followed Links lead, only when he saw his friend widen his eyes and twist so that he was behind Rhett did Rhett look carefully at their surroundings. He followed Links gaze and there in the distance was a figure near a rock, one brown and jagged rock. It looked almost like any other piece of kelp nearby, but Rhett saw how it didn't move with the current and then he smelled it, a foul smell like poison, like death. It wasn't like any death he had smelled before though, it wasn't from the sea, it wasn't from here.

He felt Link grab his shoulders his face felt close to Rhett's upper back but not quite touching, Link was scared but he was also curious. 

"It smells so bad." Link said and the volume in his voice made Rhett shiver. 

Normally one is quiet when they're scared, but not Link. 

"Let's check it out." he said swimming over Rhett's shoulder. Rhett quickly grabbed Links wrist before he got too far.

"Are you crazy?" he rasped voice tight, "We are going nowhere near that thing, nothing' good is over there." 

"But what is it?"

"That don't matter, it's far enough from the cost that we don't have to go near it and we're going to leave in the Moring." Rhett was already swimming backwards in the opposite direction pulling Link along with him in a vice grip eyes still trained on the thing.

"Look there's something shining around it." Link said pushing himself toward the thing.

"No." Rhett said his grip tightening around Link he swam a bit harder turning his body in the direction of the coast.

"Hey! You're hurting me." Link gave a nervous chuckle.

Rhett continued to swim back to the cost eyes ahead brows furrowed. Link looked back squinting at the thing, his head turned to face Rhett's back then again to the shrinking image.


	2. Oyster

Chaptah Twooooo

Rhett still took the lead his hand still gripping Links wrist, he had lost the urgency in his strokes now but still kept forward. Link swam next to him swaying side by side now looking around for anything that could possibly peak his interest. His shoulder jerked down unexpectedly when Rhett started dive, the light from the surface started to fade, normally they would watch the sunset but today Rhett wanted to be in asleep as soon as possible. It wasn't too far down, their cave, an indent in the shores rocks that curved enough so that both of them could sleep. Rhett lingered at the mouth of the cave his eyes trained on the moss that flowed from the mouth.

" Go in." Link said, pushing Rhett.

"Hn" Rhett grunted, letting go of Links wrist and pulling the moss out to the open water before looking back.

"You go first." he said, moving so that Link could enter.

"Why?" Link asked.

"Go in." Rhett replied with no further explanation. 

Link complied swimming in head first, curving his body until he was inside the cave. The mouth of the cave was only as tall as one of his arms but it was deep enough for the both of them to lie down comfortably. Rhett followed tail first and used the moss to cover part of the opening. Rhett then turned on his back swishing his tail up and down a few times to get comfortable. Link stayed on his side his arms propping his head to face Rhett and the mouth of the cave. He watched as Rhett placed his hand on his stomach then turned his head to face Link.

He looked like he wanted to say something. Link shifted from the cave wall to a few inches closer to Rhett, they were already close but Link didn't want to sleep just yet. 

"Can I... Can I groom your hair?" Link asked.

Rhett blinked, "Sure brother, you don't even need to ask."

He turned his back to Link then wiggled closer moving his head down almost to Links chest level. He made it so that his shoulder was on the rocky ground but and his face rested on his right hand to serve as a cushion. Links hands did a broad comb through Rhett's hair shaking free the outer layer of algae that had already started to form in the merman's ear length hair. Link felt a clump about the size of a pebble at the nape of Rhett's hair. He rolled the ball between his fingers, this prompted him to move over Rhett to get a better angle. His chest moved to rest on Rhett's back, Links striped dark blue and black tail brushed against Rhett's speckled green and silver one. 

"You know, if you don't clean your hair," he took a breath leaning into Rhett to work on the clump," You... are gonna get... sick"

"I clean." Rhett mumbled into his hand.

" Rubbing your hair when you leave the cave in the morning doesn't count as cleaning" Link said chuckling, "didn't your mama ever teach you how to groom your hair. Keep all the algae and bacteria out."

"You're so good at it." Rhett sighed.

Link grunted in response. He was more concerned with the growing stickiness that was forming in his friends hair. After thoroughly picking the hair and scalp clean of debris and plant matter he made a braid pattern, nothing to fancy just a light pattern to keep the hair in place, it would be gone by the morning but Link liked how it looked. 

"I'm done." Link whispered. 

Rhett had fallen asleep after Link had finished the first painful clump but Link didn't mind. Sometimes Link himself would fall asleep when Rhett groomed him, even with Rhett's clumsy fingers. Link moved off of Rhett's back and onto his side he looked over Rhett's head to the moss covering the opening of their cave. He wondered what was that thing they had seen today, but before he could ponder anymore on the subject his eyes closed and sleep took him.

Rhett awoke to the light that passed through the gap in the moss. He wondered how the octopus who once lived here put up with the light at the break of dawn. He was hungry and despite only waking up a few seconds ago he was ready for the first meal. He turned to look at Link, Link had his hands in loose fists near his throat and his face was smushed almost on Rhett's side. Rhett could see the Leatherback turtle in Link now, his mouth was wide open showing the long papillae that were spread sparsely in his mouth. Link also had sections of his skin that were almost like a shell, it lined down the spine area of his tail and crept up the bottom backside of his skin. The dark blue of the shell was complimented by the black of Links stripes. They made a thin downward spiral on his tail and were surrounded by lighter navy scales. Rhett could admire Links tail all day the neat jewel like shell that formed along his spine, the spiral that captivated his gaze. Rhett admired the organization to the chaos, it was almost a contrast to his own tail, which was green and speckled in chaotic silver flecks. Rhett had freckles too all over his skin and soft green patches that gradated on his shoulders in a wave pattern. Everyone in his family had a red nose too, it wasn't horribly red but like a permanent blush and when he saw something that frightened him it grew darker.

"Hey brother, it's time to wake up.", Rhett said rocking Link away from him then lifting one of Links arms away from his body.

Link groaned, "Morin' " he mumbled eyes still closed.

" I'm going to get a few oysters from that bed we went to before, then I think we should head south, we'll still see the turtles but just not as long as we did last year. Okay or did you want to head north?"

"Mhhm." Link hummed in agreement.

"Come one man wake up."

"You're serious bout the leaving thing?" Link asked. Now on his back eyes still closed

" Yeah man." Rhett said his voice raising an octave, " I'm real serious, whatever that thing was I want us to be far away from it by tomorrow."

Link breathed heavily through his nose, "If you say so brother, I trust you."

"Come on this is going to be all you can eat, we won't be back for a while"

Link stretched and gave his tail a good flap cracking his eyes open, "Let's go."

Link was already on his way out of the cave when he finished his sentence. Rhett followed Link in a relatively straight line while Link went in a wavy motion going far ahead of Rhett then deviating from his previous direction only to circle back to go in the general direction of the oyster cove. 

"Chase!" 

Rhett heard Link call, then he saw Link swim with speed toward the Oyster cove in the distance. Rhett was in no hurry, he simply picked up his pace a bit, then the paranoia of it not being Chase kicked in he remembered the smell of that thing from yesterday and he could almost smell it near them now despite the fact that it was in the opposite direction.

Link approached Chase with all the enthusiasm that he had built up over the year from not seeing the merman.

"How have you been?" Link asked pulling him into a hug only to pull away so he could get a good look at him.

"Wow. You're patterns are beautiful the reds are so much deeper and your fins have grown so long now I bet you can hold your own in a race, catch a ladys eye." Link commented smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.

Chase blushed and kept his hands near his belly while Link looked him over.

"Th-Thanks." Chase said as he went from looking as the side of the cove to Links eyes. 

"I'm doing great. The migration this year was better than last, there was no typhoon, Stevie has been helping me a lot and Lizzie came back this year she's always fun."

"That's good to hear." Link said, "I can't believe how much you've grown in just a year."

"I've found some more cool stuff. " Chase said enthusiastically he held both of Links hands into his own, "It's all really weird."

Chase always brought weird things from the surface. Once he had brought a long piece of 'line' (that what he called it). He gave it to Link as a gift it was tougher than anything Link had ever seen, impossible to bite and foul tasting. He had used it to make Rhett's necklace. Wrapping the teal 'line' around a dark blue pearl he had found in a black clam deep on the ocean floor, it had three prongs like a fin and Link had made sure it was wrapped tight around the jewel before he tied it around Rhett's neck.

"Where's the stuff?" Link asked.

"Where's What?"

Chase looked over too see Rhett's grinning face.

"How ya doin Chase?" Rhett asked.

"Great!" Chase beamed.

"So, what's this 'it'" Rhett asked ending with a chuckle.

"I found a 'boat'" Chase replied eyes moving Link. 

Rhett and Link froze at the word, "A what?" 

" A 'boat' I saw one at the bottom at the ocean near here someone said 'man' left it there"

" Chase do you know what a 'boat' does?" Rhett asked.

" This one's different there's no humans on it, just fish and shiny things. I mean I haven't been in it but I've seen it from afar, it looks cool."

"Where is it?" Link asked.

"Over by the deep." Chase answered pointing to the dark navy that sucked in the light around it.

"You think there may be treasure?" Link asked eyes glistening reflecting the blue of the deep.

"You're actually going to go toward the ' boat' ?" Rhett asked in disbelief.

"Well, Chase said it was abandoned and it's in the deep 'man' doesn't like the deep."

"It's still a 'boat' Link." Rhett emphasized.

"We-We don't have to go." Chase said he moved closer to Link.

"But I wanna go." Link stated dropping Chases hands looking Rhett in the eye.

" It's a stupid idea." Rhett stated keeping his eyes locked with Links.

" It's not stupid, there could be cool stuff you're just mad you can't go in the deep." Link countered.

"I'm not mad!" Rhett yelled face heating, "It's a dumb idea and if anything happens down there I can't help you, can't you just make one rational decision?"

"WHAT'S NOT RATIONAL?" Link yelled waving his hands, "It's abandoned do you not know what abandoned means? It means that there's no one there no one will care if you go into it."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Rhett said voice getting higher and louder.

"WHY YA gotta yell!" Link countered lowering his voice at the last part.

"You're both yelling" a peeved voice said. Rhett and Link both turned.

"Stevie" Link said in a relived tone.

"You're both so loud that I could hear you across the coast. I thought Chase was in danger and raced over but no, it's just you two having a screaming contest."

"He wants to go in the deep to see a 'boat' " Rhett said quickly, side eying Link.

" The ' boat' you were talking about Chase?" Stevie asked.

"Yeah" Chase said quietly.

Chase had watched the entire thing unfold and wasn't sure what to do, he drifted closer to Stevie.

" What's wrong with the boat?" Stevie asked.

"No." Rhett said firmly.

"What?"

" No. No going to the boat."

"Why not?" Stevie asked again.

Rhett paused," We saw something yesterday."

"What did you see?" Stevie asked intrigued but worried at the same time.

"I... don't know." Rhett said eyes down cast.

"That's not very helpful"

"He wouldn't let me go see that either" Link interrupted crossing his arms.

"You didn't even want to go at first." Rhett said eyes back on Link.

"Not true, I wanted to see it, it's just you who didn't"

"You didn't just want to see it you wanted to touch it"

"How would you know? I never even got close to it before you pulled me away."

" I know you, you were going to touch it, "

"But, what does this have to do with...the boat " Stevie asked, "and while I do not encourage approaching weird things, I think Link is still capable of make his own decisions Rhett." she gave a nervous chuckle at the last part.

" See." Link said wrinkling his nose.

" What do you mean 'see'? Boats aren't toys Link"

" Well... I still wanna go see it and last time I checked I didnt need your permission to do things" Link said smiling swimming quickly over to Chases side pulling his hand.

Rhett made an attempt to say something but Stevie gave him a look out of the corner of her eye. If they continued it would go nowhere and while Rhett would like to keep Link away from the 'boat' and the deep as long as possible he knew that Link would go anyway angry from a prolonged argument or just to spite Rhett.

"Uhh" Chase let out a low sound looking at Stevie.

"I already said yes, I'm not going to take it back"

"Thank you" Chase beamed quickly falling into Links pull toward the deep.

Stevie turned to face Rhett his gaze still following Link.

"He may be a year younger than you but he's not a child."

"I know, but sometimes he makes just the most impulsive and rash decisions can you blame me" Rhett said fist tightening.

"What made you so spooked about this 'thing' anyway?" Stevie asked swimming towards Rhett her lush red tail flowing as she went with him to the oyster wall, "You said you never even got close to it"

"The smell." Rhett said his nose wrinkling at the memory, "Like I've smelled death before but not like that. It just... I don't know."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Stevie said firmly, " When it really come down to it Link knows what to do."

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been revised and edited. 2017 SEPT. 18


	3. K is for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can be an impatient person and I don't want it to show in my writing. I've been angry at many a fiction for not being patient enough with their story and I don't want to be that one! So, I've revised chapter two mad a few tweaks changed a bit of dialogue and spent extra time on chapter three, hopefully this extra time will soon be the standard for how much revision goes into my work. I'm open to all feedback so please, leave a comment tell me what you think.

Chase swam beside Link keeping close afraid to go too far in the dark blue deep, he and Link could easily see their way around. They had dived many times before to fish, explore or just dive, but after the tension from Rhett and Links interaction carried even this far below. 

"Are you and Rhett fighting because of me?" Chase asked flicking his tail nervously as he swam.

"What? No! Rhett and I fight sometimes, well not really fight. I mean... we argue, there's a difference. We're not mad because of you.", Link reached out for Chase pulling him into a half hug to reassure him before continuing , " Rhett can just be... he can be really protective when it comes to this kind of stuff, goin' in the deep or goin' near 'boats'."

"Oh." Chase said edge leaving his voice his hand grasping Links.

Chase may have grown over the year with Stevie but he was still young, adolescence could be a rocky period for a merman or mermaid. Link remembered his younger years when his shell started to protrude from his spine, it wasn't odd for a merperson to be a mix with other sea creatures but it still left him self-conscious. He hated when people touched the bumps along his spine, when they wanted to feel if it was just bundled flesh or an actual exoskeleton. He remembered living in the settled group with his mom and other families, eleven kids in total, a kid from his younger years ( Jimmy?) had pulled so hard on his lowest bump that Link cried, it didn't take long for Rhett to find out which one did it. If his memory served, the kid ended up sticking closer to his mom months after, refusing to leave her side and missing any lesson about the sea she didn't teach.

The boat in the distance stirred Link from his thoughts. Link unwrapped his arm from Chase and let go of his hand. Link swam a lap around the boat, exploring the ships exterier before approaching an opening in its side. The boat was metal not wooden and it looked bigger than the ones that usually sank near the coast. 

"Keep close, Chase." Link said.

"I know." Chase said swimming under Link.

Link and Chase went through the ships winding tunnels, there were several small rooms with thick bars of metal covered in cloth. It reminded Link of the cave he and Rhett shared. Chase was pulling on the fabric and swaddling himself in one especially white and hairy one.

Chase turned to face Link and in a voice as deep as he could make it said, "I...am...the Dutchman!" his face peeked from the white sheet arms waving in front of him.

Link chuckled swimming around the small room avoiding Chases slow advance.

"The one who eats children?" He squealed in a high voice pretending to be horrified.

"Eye!" Chase continued, " Ye best be feard if ye has sense, beg to be spared or Ill leave steal your wives and take what ye care fer most." 

"Noooooo." Link half cried half laughed. He swam slowly facing door giving a dramatic wail.

" Ye choose to run? Ye choose wrong." Chase gave a light tackle to Link out the door and they both floated down the tunnell laughing.

They were still giggling as they swam down a tunnel which was the largest of the ones they had seen so far. Chase still had the blanket over his head face peaking out, he was on Links back, arms around Links neck so that he was ferrying him around. At the end of the hall on the floor was a large wheel and a handle, Link had seen it on many boats before, he remembered him and Rhett turning it to open smaller doors, but this door was bigger than the ones before and it looked sturdier. 

"Let's get this open" Link said.

They both grabbed the wheel, "You have to push it this way okay?" Link said giving a motion with his arm in a circle, Chase shook his head in agreement.

They door was sealed tight but after a few good pushes the wheel turned. The handle on the side moved and gave a clunk but when Link pulled upwards it didn't budge. 

Link tapped on the wheel, " Chase grab onto this and pull." Link held the wheel too and kept his hand on the handle.

They both pulled, hard, Link started to question how long the boat had been here for the door to be so stiff. After a few good tugs they stopped to rest.

"Do you think we'll be able to get in?" Chase asked arms crossed.

"Yeah" Link said

"How long is that going to take?"

Link paused then sighed," Good point." he said looking at Chase, crestfallen.

"I didn't say that I don't want to know what's inside." Chase insisted, "Just wanted to know how long it would take. I cant stay in the deep too long or I get all achy" he rubbed his arms to emphasize the point.

"Me too" Link said rubbing his eyes.

They both stayed near the door contemplating whether to stay with the door and possibly never get it open or explore the rest of the ship.

"You wanna explore the rest of ship?" Link asked.

Chase placed his hands on his cheeks, he looked at the door eyes wide.

" I think, I want to try door" he said looking up at Link.

"Okay then" Link said, he nodded at chase

Chase nodded back. They both grasped the door Link with one hand on the handle the other on the wheel, Chase with both hands gripped white on the wheel. A few food tugs later the door let out a high groan Link and Chase looked at each other smiling madly. 

Link swam in first he pulled himself by the rungs near the wall down to the floor. He looked into the open area.

"What is all of this," Chase asked, making a Beeline for the small glass that had a faint green tint surrounded by bumps in metal, Chase touched on of the bumps gasping firmly, it turned with his hand easily.

"This is so weird," he said.

"Everything's weird down here man," Link said.

While Chase fiddled with the bumps and shiny glass Link looked at the wooden boxes that were attached at the center of the room. The room itself seemed to be the width of the entire ship and the length of half of it. It had high ceilings and most of the debris had floated to the top or stayed off in the lower corner near another door. It made the room almost empty save for the centerpiece Five wooden crates of varying sizes that were kept to the floor by rope. He pulled the ropes giving them a test nibble. They were flat ropes and they has scribbles, large scribbles, Link wondered what they meant. He went to where the rope met the floor and saw that a piece of metal was tied to the rope and the metal was attached to the floor. He saw that the metal had a hook shape. Link has seen fastening like this before, he pulled the rope downward to the floor he saw the hook move away from the hole, Link pulled the hook towards him. He tossed the rope and looked at the now free crates.

"Hey Chase, wanna open these," He asked swimming over the boxes and picking which one he wanted to open first.

Chase responded with Links question with one of his own, "What are those?"

"That's what I wanna find out."

Link picked out he flattest looking box, it was about as thick as his wrist and as long and wide as his arm, he studied the edges trying to find out how to open the crate.

"You got your knife on you," Link asked.

"Yeah, but you're not using it," Chase said pulling off the white cloth, reaching into his netted pouch.

Chase had netted bag made from the wires he found near the shore. He kept it small around his shoulders tying it into sections with other pieces of wire so it didn't get caught on things as he swam. In the top section of the pouch he had a small knife no bigger than his hand(handle included). 

"Put it here," Link said pointing at the small gap between the wood. Chase followed Links fingers and slipped the knife into the slit, he gently pushed the knife into the hilt then twisted the knife by only a few degrees, the lid gave a small gap. Link slipped his nails in the newly formed gap, Chase did the same to the other side. Link stayed on one side of the crate with his finger slipped in and they pried the top off.

There were two loud cracks and Link picked up the lid tossing it behind them. They moved the thin layer of rough beige organic wires, and Link pulled out a glass pane the size of this head. The glass had a weird formation in it, and when link inspected the edges he noticed that it was in fact two pieces of glass stuck together. They would have to bring it up to the surface to get a better look, Link placed the pane back into the wooden box and went to open the next one.

The next box had almost the same dimensions but it had the thickness of Links hand span. Inside was a small dagger much like Chases, Link felt his hands shake a bit. It was a dolphins jaw that had been sharpened into a fine point, an heirloom passed down from mother to daughter. Links fingers rubbed it and felt for the family's name that was to be at the butt of the knife, but it was missing broken leaving less than half of the hilt. 

"W-What's that doing here," Chase asked stuttering.

Link ignored him, he stuffed his hands back into the crate, he groped the wires searching for an explanation when he felt the prick of another knife he pulled it out without hesitation. He turned it over in his hand finding that this one was still intact. It was of higher quality, made from lava glass, obsidian, smooth to the touch, the groves in the handle were well defined and the blade itself had a sharp tip. 

"Whose are those," Chase continued.

Links face was straight his mouth set in a relaxed line, shoulders slightly slumped as he held a dagger in each hand. He placed them back the crate and pushed it aside.

"Open the rest," he said on a low voice.

"Whose-"

"Chase," Link said grabbing Chases shoulders eyes locked, "we have to open the rest."

Link swam over to the other crates putting them on a side that would leave them easier to open.

"But..." Chase couldn't finish his sentence, he looked at Link and then swam up to help pry open the boxes.

They started with the tallest crate pulling and spreading their arms so that they could pull as much of the lid up at once. Link quickly pulled back the wires and let them float behind him has he hastily pulled the glass cylinder that laid long in front of them.

Link saw Chase curl his tail and lightly touching his side fins. The tube was only a bit thicker than Links arm and as long as Links tail, with a right to be. Inside the tube suspended by what looked to be a liquid thicker than water was the full side of a mermaids tail. It had a jagged cut that looked to span at least three fourths of a tail. Link could only imagine the pain that must have come from loosing that much flesh. They surely would not ever be able to swim right again and by the look of their height their flippers would be the main thing to help them keep their in balance. They would be have to have been lucky to get out alive.

" maybe they're dead" Link though morbidly, it wasn't a far thought.

Link shivered. To be captured, to be butchered, from tail to torso.

"Link, I wanna leave," Chase pleaded voice fluctuating, "P-please."

Link ignored again him moving to the other two other boxes. They opened the second to last to find children dolls, toys, seashell necklaces and scales. The last box was almost perfectly square and at this point Chase was one more horror show from falling apart. Links placed one trembling hand on the top of the final crate.

"Pop it."

Chase complied his hands flinching at almost every creak the box made and when the lid opened both he and Link felt their scales come tight around themselves.

"What-" Link said.

He moved his hand to touch the wires on top but flinched back before he could even move them. Every fiber of his being was telling him to leave, all questions and their answers be dammed, his instincts didn't care about his curiosity. At the same time it was the fear that made Link pine over what was in the box even more.

"Don't-" Chase started before Link pulled the wires again.

Below the organic wires was what made their scales tighten in fear, a mess of dark green and black. Link could almost feel the sliminess of its glossy surface. There was a distinct outline in the dark green that made the shell on Links spine push into itself. He saw the curl of a thin boney mermaid tail, the frozen open mouth of a hungry fetus whose hands were open, needing. Its head was turned out to face Link its neck was obscenely long and it curled down into itself. Its eyes were sunken in but he could feel the stare come into him. Without even touching it he felt violated. 

"KIELPROF" Link said in a harsh whisper.

He reached his arm out for Chase as fast as he could only for him to wave at empty water. His head snapped back for him to see that Chase was already near the door eyes wide.

Link swam fast, "Don't go," Link said desperately.

Chases eyes widened as he shook his head swimming backwards.

"You have to compliment it." Link said grabbing Chases wrist.

Chase looked at Link horrified at the proposition of talking let alone going near that thing again.

"You have to," Link insisted his eyes nearly bugging out of his head as he tightened his grip on Chases wrist putting his other hand to strengthen the hold.

Chase started to speak, "No-No it's-its" Chase didn't even know what to say.

They made it to the crates side, Link's eyes looking dead into the blackness skin crawling. Chase, one word away from crying and collapsing in the ship to wait for what he was sure to be death.

"What a beautiful child" Link said with a voice as light as a soft current.

Chase looked over to Link, he thought the man may have truly lost it. That he had gone delirious from what they had found in the crates. Link squeezed Chases hand again, all the fingers like knots tied and digging into Chases skin.

"W-what a beautiful child" Chase managed to choke out voice dipping at each word.

A hard current ripped at Chases neck, he thought he was really going to die, but, when he managed to look straight it was Link with his hands still gripping his wrist. Link was swimming fast, faster than Chase even knew the merman could. He whipped through the tunnels and out the hole they had came through without even hesitating or even a glance back. He made haste for the surface paying no mind to the burning that went through his lungs or the sting in his eyes. They were in the bright coast now and Chases head was spinning, he looked over to Link they were both close to passing out.

Chase felt the last bit of consciousness slip when Link started yelling, screaming for a help Chase wasn't ready for today.


	4. Bubbles

Rhett still wanted to leave as soon as Link got back. Rhett went to the coast with Stevie and ate all the oysters he could. Swallowing them whole as he ate the oysters quickly swiping his tongue in the inside of the shell, hard. 

Stevie ignored Rhett's tantrum and ate the oysters at a regular pace, eyes roaming the open sea. They met up with Lizzie after, she was playing with the dolphins. Lizzie had a yellow and green tail that came in harsh patches, she had a soft smile on her face and it looked nice with her short blonde hair.

" You really can't make a bubble." it sounded like a question but Rhett knew that Lizzie knew the answer.

"I was never good at it" Rhett said with a puffed up face, air in one cheek.

A dolphin from the pod tossed an air ring his way, only to do hard turn and flaunt the ring in his face. He frowned and watched Stevie as she made a few medium sized rings that the baby dolphins went through.

"So, like, you never practiced or you're not good at it?" Lizzie asked.

"Both" Rhett said as he swam up to the surface, Lizzie followed.

He took a breath at the surface looking briefly at the sky and then giving a paranoid look at the coast, the edge peaked from the side of the large coastal rocks they were near, and went down to the area with the others. He blew a bit of air up to form a ring but it quickly surfaced.

"You have to blow it like this" she tilted her head back, "so it makes a circle otherwise you're just blowing air".

"I know "Rhett said still blowing the air in his mouth into regular bubbles.

Link is better at this than him. Whenever Link makes a bubble ring he would share with Rhett and although Rhett wanted to play with Stevie and Lizzie he didn't want to ask them to make him one.

"Links really good at this type of stuff" Rhett said which made Lizzie giggle.

"You don't say" she smirked, blowing a ring towards Rhett's face.

Rhett popped the bubble with his mouth and swam circles around her. He swam in a spiral turning to face her as he talked.

"Yeah, he can make really big ones, ones big enough for me to go though."

Lizzies eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yeah, really"

Lizzie continued to puff out rings coaching Rhett to go through them.

They had spent a good while playing until Lizzie had another question, " When are you going to go back home to get a girlfriend?"

Rhett's tail accidentally popped the ring he was going through and sputtered at her question, "What?" he looked at her shocked and puzzled "Why-Why would you ask that?"

She looked bashful at her own question, "I don't know. You're older than Stevie and she has a girlfriend." Lizzie was blushing hard.

"Stevie has a girlfriend?"

Stevie was so young to already be thinking about settled life. Stevie, Chase and Lizzie formed a traveling pod, but if Stevie was already thinking of settling down would she make the two go home? Back to their family? 

Maybe this was Lizzie trying to ask if her and Chase could join Link and him, Rhett would say yes if she asked. He and Link had traveled together since they were kids and had split off to explore, they wouldn't mind taking Chase and Lizzie, but he was getting ahead of himself. Rhett wouldn't mind taking Lizzie and Chase but maybe Link would mind. As far as he knew Link liked having just the two of them. If Lizzie asked could he say yes? If he said yes and Link said no what would happen?

"I'm... I don't think I'm going to settle down yet." Rhett said.

"But... aren't you going to be like super old soon?" She said.

Now Rhett couldn't help but chuckle at that, "How old do you think I am?" he asked.

Lizzie gave him blank face. Then a really stern look like she was trying to add up all of the knowledge she had on Rhett.

"We'll you were older when I was a kid, so you're older" she said with conviction.

"That makes no sense" Rhett said, "and you're still a kid"

"No I'm not" she said quickly," I'm an adult"

Rhett laughed swimming in the direction of Stevie and the dolphins. So Lizzie wasn't asking to join them. She just wanted to know if he was going to have children. Rhett was getting to that age, the age to settle, he was already a man. He and Link had talked about it a few times, going back home. You can only wander for so long and the idea of having a family sounded appealing. This was something else he would have to talk with Link about when they left. Maybe they would head home.

When he reached close enough to Stevie she blew a ring to Rhett, he caught it in his mouth and pushed it back to her and they did a quick back and forth before it popped in her mouth. 

"Damn it" she said.

" For someone who can't blow a bubble you sure can play a mean game of hot rock."

Rhett chuckled before he spoke, " You have to be when you're with someone as energetic as Link," they both chuckled before Rhett spoke again, " I think you guys should leave with us." 

Stevie gave him a confused face, "What do you mean?"

"When Link gets back we're going to head south, I think you guys should come with us. It's not even noon yet we can cover a lot of distance if we try."

"Where is this coming from?" 

"That thing I mentioned before, I was serious when I said that it gave me a bad feeling. Link and I discussed it too, before we met Chase and the whole boat thing Link and I we were going to eat and leave." he had his brows furrowed trying to convince her.

In a way he was trying to convince himself. In the depths of his mind he thought this fear is reasonable, it has merit something is here.

"This thing really has you that scared?" Stevie asked looking over to Lizzie who was lost in the conversation without context. They had had a few close calls before, humans diving close to where they rested or a shark chasing them for a short time. Stevie knew that if she had to she could get them moving at a moment's notice but she didn't want to scare either Lizzie or Chase for something unseen and of no apparent threat.

"Yeah... and I really think we should all go together it would be safer."

Stevie had a unsure look on her face, she didn't want to break from the dolphin pod if she didn't have too.

"We will go"

Rhett's body relaxed slightly as he hugged Stevie, "Thank you" Stevie accepted the hug and gave one back.

Rhett felt another pair of arms come at his side and when he looked he saw Lizzie with her arms around both of them coming in from the side, confused but willing to come in for the hug.

"I am so an adult" Lizzie squeaked.

They broke apart and were about to blow more bubble rings when they heard a long call. Something that sounded pained. The dolphins were frenzied by it and Rhett's body went into action before anyone else. He went full speed abandoning the two females to head toward the long call.

 

Rhett could feel his heart race, it was the pounding and levitating inside him but at the same time it thundered strong and hard, tangled in all the grief that he feared to soon feel. He thought of the smell of unusual death mingling with Links scent. All the mistakes he had made in life and if this would be the one he regretted.

He made a sharp turn around the coast, the fear within him stayed even after he spotted Link. Link was swimming blindly outside of the deep, he was exasperated and Chase was in his arms. Rhett looked around as he swam to them to see anything that could have caused Link to cry out like that, he gave a long stare into the deep as he took hold of Link and Chase, but all he saw was the open ocean. A few fish, a distant tiger shark, some ocean debris. All harmless, the tiger shark was too far to cause Links alarm.

"What-What is it" Rhett whispered, afraid.

Link was pale and his eyes fluttered darting around Rhett's face. He gripped Rhett's bicep a hold that had little power behind it.   
"There-Th-There was a-a-a Kipolf" Link stuttered.

Rhett looked Link in his eyes, his face with a look of disbelief.

"A What" he said, voice cracking off at the end.

"Chase!" Stevie yelled.

She took Chase from Rhett and Links side, he was slipping slowly form Rhett's grasp. She brought his head to face her, he had slipped form consciousness at some point.

"What happened" Stevie asked looking at Rhett

"He said..." Rhett gave a tired chuckle, "he saw a Kipolf" 

There was a belch from Chase, he had his mouth open slightly a nauseous look on his face.

"Chase" Stevie said, patting his face lightly, "Chase what happened"

She wrapped her arms around his waist tighter and helped him swim close to an area where they could rest.

Rhett followed her, his eyebrows drawn into a downward angle and his lips pulled in. He had one of Links arms over his shoulder and he swam for the both of them.

He set Link on his back next to Chase. Lizzie swam around to hover over Chase, she looked between the two of them, glancing at them she was clearly shaken but made stayed close to Chase. Stevie pulled Rhett's arm to talk away from the other three.

"What the fuck just happened"

Rhett kept his brows furrowed and now took his eyes off Link to look at Stevie.

"I have no clue" 

"What else did Link say? You said that he saw a Kipolf, like a phantom child? The ones that parents tell their children so they don't stray too far from the pod? The fairy tale"

Her voice was strained and her eyes carried all of her stress, when they looked into Rhett he didn't know what to do, what to say. Links answer was as ridiculous as Rhett's reason to leave, there was no reason or logic to it.

"That's all he said. I don't even know if he knows what he's sayin' "

Stevie had her hands clasped in front of her face and seemed to look right into Rhett, "It had to be something right?" She asked moving even closer to Rhett. 

"Yeah, he wouldn't... he can get scared easily, maybe he thought of the thing we saw yesterday and got spooked by something else"

It went against his argument but a part of Rhett wanted him to be wrong. The burning feeling in his chest didn't stop, stop whatever he was doing was there and he didn't like it. 

Rhett looked back at Link, if it had been another time Link had came to him saying he had seen something mythical like a Kipolf Rhett would have laughed at him. Like the time he told Rhett that him and Tessa had found a cursed seahorse, but now with the mysterious things around them he wasn't too amused. 

"We should leave—now." Rhett said his arm going up to her back to guide her to the others.  
"Kipolfs are not real Rhett" She said pushing Rhett away and turning, stopping before they got to close to the others.

"I know that." Rhett said defensively.

"Then why are you rushing? They just came out of the deep and way too fast, if we try to move with them they could end up even more sick or worse"

"Yeah, and whatever scared them could be the or worse"

"We don't even know what scared them" Stevie pointed out an angry flair to her words, "You said that Link could have been scared by anything so why rush?

"that's my point" Rhett said, "we don't know so why stick around to find out"

"Your arguments based on things we haven't even seen, Rhett. Your "feeling" about whatever you think you saw yesterday. You don't know what and now you want to move because Link saw some mythical creature that we know does not exist."

She was scared just like Rhett was, and the more Rhett thought about it they should be. They were children playing in the ocean as if it was their playground. Rhett shivered at the thought of losing Link to something unknown, something that could have been foreseen if he had listened a bit more closely to his mama when she was teaching how to guide a pod.

The anxiety of life was surfacing from the depths of his mind as he thought of all the times he let Link go into the deep alone to eat jellyfish. He knew the dangers of Link going alone but now when he glanced at Links body pale and limp he thought of Link never coming back up. One day he would wait near the surface and never see blue eyes and a striped pattern tail. It could happen and Rhett would never know what happened.

"You said you'd move with us"

"Yeah, before Chase was sick and before you started to believe in a Kipolf. You want to move to keep us safe but how can moving with half of us are sick be safe"

Rhett glanced over to the two mermen laying on the sea floor and Lizzie looking over to them scared.

"I can carry Link" he said, "and you and Lizzie can carry Chase we can still make it a distance if we go now."

"What the FUCK Rhett" Stevie yelled, "Did you not hear a word I just said? Link and Chase are SICK and they need to REST, They. Are. Not. Going. Any—where"

Rhett stared at her awkwardly she said that they would go together this was a sign to go, leave, get out of here as soon as possible. 

"But—But"

"We can leave when they're better but not before"

He was being paranoid this was a probably all a coincidence. The gnawing feeling inside him was him thinking of the worst, things that would never happen because they never did.

They both swam up to the younger Mermaid and Mermen. They explained that they were staying until Link and Chase were better and that they would probably stay until next morning. Stevie did most of the talking, Link and Chase did most of the grunting.

Stevie took them to their resting area for the night it was closer than Rhett and Links cave which was too small for the five of them anyway. Rhett had Link on his back and Stevie had Chase in her arms moving slowly tugging his chubby body. 

Chase and Lizzie slept next to each other, Link next to Lizzie and Rhett next to Link, Stevie looked out into the open water keeping watch. Rhett had a feeling that she was scared too, of what Chase and Link saw, she knew Rhett wouldn't be scared by nothing. He was older than her and had a good intuition, but she also knew that the effects of moving Chase and Link were more real than the theories and intuition of one person.

Rhett followed facts too but he believed that myths existed for a reason and his instincts told him things for a reason. He remembered his mom telling him that Kiplolfs were cursed infants that dies young and that seeing a Kipolf meant your first child would die as an infant or they would grow to kill you. The curse spread by the more people who saw it.

Links mom though, said it was a still born child with deformities, and simply having a dead child was the bad fortune but if you complemented it the bad fortune would turn good and come back to you. 

Their moms told them stories like that to make sure they respected pregnant mermaids and to make rude to children grateful of their life. He still thought there was more to it though, him and Link were superstitious like that in a way, Rhett always crossed his fingers when there was a flash of light and Link always touched the whales they passed by.

Rhett brought his thoughts to a close when he saw Link stir in his sleep. Link moved from his back to facing Rhett, Rhett combed his hand through Links hair admiring the soft cleanliness of it before he pulled Links head into his chest. Whatever was out there they would go though it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: It was nice knowing you, even if it was for a brief moment *shakes hand*  
> Consistency: I hope I had a good effect on you.  
> Me: Trust me it was minimal at best  
> Consistency: *tears up* good to know

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time please be gentle. Or naw, I mean if you have some pointers I'm open. Any formatting tips are good, I'm picky about it too when I read.


End file.
